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Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

RENE CGURTIN, OF Ii'IABG-UY LEZ (lFFlC.....

COMPIEGNE, FRANCE.

METHOD LEGB PROTECTING FLUID CONTAINERS.

No Drawing. Application filed. Juno 7, Serial No. 197,254, and in France June 11, 1928.

The present invention relates to methods for protecting fluid containers and has more particular reference to loot ls for protecting petroleum or gasoline tanks or containers such as the ones used on board aeroplanes, ai rships or like aircraft machines against impacts of all kinds, also against perforations caused by bullets or other missiles or objects and against their disastrous consequences such as the destruction of aircraft by fire.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a method whereby the tank or container is externally coated with a layer of a resilient elastic and non-inflammable cone position which once set on the s; id container protects it against impacts and automatically closes up or seals any perforation produced therethrough as by a machine-gun bullet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method whereby the tank or container is externally coated with a layer of a re ilient. elastic and non-intlammable composition which once set on the said container protects it against impacts and automatically seals any perforation produced therethrongh as by a machine-gun bullet whilst beingalso impervious and non-soluble in water so that the eflicaciousness of said layer is pres-erred if the aircraft passes through a moist ambient. space or accidentally falls in a mass of water, as in the case of hydroplanes.

Other objects of the invention will readily appear from the following specification and appended claims.

According to the invention, the tank or container is essentially coated with a layer of a composition somewhat similar to the one used for covering printing rollers and made of suitable proportions of lllgltlllOlltS comprising glycerine a gelatinous substance (such as fish glue, pure gelatine. arabic gum, vegetable glue. gum-lac or the like), a binding" substance adapted to harden when it sets (such as glucose. molasses or treacle) and water, the following exemplifying proportions by volume being suitable l'ui'ls. Glycerine 3-30 to Gelatinous substance ll) to ($0 Binding substance 1 to 2 Water 10 to 15 Experimental tests conducted have disclosed that excellent results can be obtained with. coating of a composition termed ly the admixture of the following ingredients:

Similar proportions can also be used with substantially the same results.

The thickness of the coating on the container naturally depends on its size and On the breaking or perforating stresses to which it will be submitted as evidently if the con taincr has to withstand powert'ul impacts and is exposed to a risk of perforation by big bullets, the coating must be thicker. However in ordinary cases a suitable thickness varies lrom A to of an inch.

A convenient way of applying, the aforesaid coating consists in first applying a thin layer of an adhesive paint on the outer wall of the container, adhesive paint being that which is commonly used in the art for causing the composition of which printing rollers are usually made to adhere to the supporting axle or mandrel. Such adhesive paints are generally composed of a mixture of gum (arabic gum) siccative linseed oil and gasoline, in suitable proportions depending upon the paint having; to be more or less fluid. Then to pour the previously molten and hot protecting composition in a mould made of wood, metal, cardboard or other suitable material placed around the container and then to allow the said composition to freely set. 'lo said coating is advantageously applied an external layer of a watertight substance such as canvas 01' a rubber sheet and also an external gauze or wire mesh sheet or a similar protecting sheathing.

F or certain applications and particularly when there is a risk of the container being hit by bi auc e projectiles, a layer of a light and porous substance such as porous rubber, blotting paper or the like is ad 'antageously provided between the container wall and the resilient coating thus the metal flange forced out. by the passage of the bullet through the said wall will not damage the said coating but will merely tear open the underlying layer of porous substance.

Owing to the resiliency of the protecting composition, if the container receives a hard blow, it is protected as by a cushion whereas if a bullet or projectile or a similar object passes through it, the perforation thereby produced is automatically and innned" closed up or sealed whereby any leahag the fluid from the container is prevented ii its coneoniiitant disastrous risks when fluid is of an inflammable naznre such as line. Such composition also possesses: a great advantage tha it can readily melt under the influence of hea t and carl'ionize with out being set on fire.

Thus it will he readily aporeciaod how useful the niethml accordin to the invent 's, iarticularly for coati hoard aeroplanef. hydro ilanes ans like aircraft 11'121 1 .l1l11(}5 i. e" in all cases uhere any leakage of gasoline as a 7 l." of

ntal impact or peritoratii r oit ire destroying the in: lvhat I claim 1., A method for proiecl'ii'ig i are and particularly tasks containing]; inflammable fluids as gas co; rising the step 01": coating the container ivilpi a molt in composition comprising suitable proportions of glycol-inc, a gelaino suhstnice sncl'i an pure gelatine, fish glue, vegetable glue, arahic gunu and glue-lac binding suhstai such as ghu-ose molasses, treacle d Water somewhat similar to the composition used for covering printing rollers, and allowing said coating to .i. A method for proteciing fluid containers pasticularly tanks containing inflammahle fluids as gasoline comprising applying; a thin layer of an ZIClllQSiYG paint to the outer Wall of the container, encompassing said container with a corresponding; mould 0 suitable mater .l, pouring into said inoul'l a vioi'isl niol on and hot coinoosition coniprr 11g; glycerine, a latinous suhsaareia a hindii substance and eaten allowing the coinpos ion to not and removing}; the would 3. A. method for prctecin fluid containers particularly tanks contamnr hie fluids sui'h as gamline comprising app inn a thin layer at an adhesive paint outer Wall of the container, pouring; 1 would encom missing said. container a molten and hot composition comprising gglg'i gelatinous suhstencm a binding? and water. allmiugz the composi 1 removin the illfllli'iiq and appiyni oi a z idapten'l to form a protein, wheat n is 4;. or protecting Fluid conifli'iiilH particularly tanks contaii inflammable fluids as gasoline coin ris j ap plying on the outer \all of the container a on the 01 a light and porous substance (such 60 ,mftl; ruhoer, lli paper) then by a mould ai k olten thicker layer 1 in t 1e n1 -erine, a gel set relnovino' the mould and svhst o l' i Y: on :1

o l eoamo' ix' in ml parts of g in q to inous suhstanee, l to i;

substance and C(iiltlll d with ed for protecti" r. lci'ilarly tanks coiita I as gasoline compricl all of t 1e contai esive ior. coinv s J5 earls or the mould and s1 ance ai'laptcd teeiii'o sheathingr a 8. iii iuid con-l1 proi'ide on its outer wall ih a comaosilo coating prmlucml ari'ordi lo the method as in claim I.

5}. fluid container provided on its outer dil 111) iii c coating: made of a l: 1 a

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